


Legends Living

by shipskicksandgiggles



Series: tumblr prompts [29]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angels, Dialogue Heavy, Greek Myths, Greek gods, M/M, Marriage Proposal, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, icarus imagery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27277246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipskicksandgiggles/pseuds/shipskicksandgiggles
Summary: "So it was, on a Tuesday night at 3am, sometime in 1986 that Tony Stark, a mechanical engineering and physics double major, met James Rhodes, an Aerospace major with a Greek and Roman mythology minor, and the future was set in motion for living legends who kind of definitely lived up to the legends."
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & James "Rhodey" Rhodes
Series: tumblr prompts [29]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1566982
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31
Collections: you can tell everybody this is your song





	Legends Living

**Author's Note:**

> i <3 you

“Damn Archimedes, what are you building?”

Tony Stark looked up for the first in what felt like hours. “Who are you talking to?”

James Rhodes appeared in front of the work bench. “I’m obviously talking to you, genius. No one else is here.”

“Oh.” He paused. “Who’s Archimedes?”

“It doesn’t matter. You really shouldn’t be here though,” Rhodes pointed out.

“Is it because you think I’m too young?” 

A challenge.

“No, it’s because it’s 3 in the morning and any reasonable person should be in bed _regardless_ of their age. C’mon, where’s your dorm? I’ll walk you back.” 

An offer.

Tony stared at the man in front of him for a moment before relenting. “Fine. I’m Tony by the way, just in case you really thought I was the friend you were asking about.”

“I’m James, and Archimedes is a myth kid. Just another genius like you.”

“Huh?” 

“I’ll explain it when you’re older.”

Tony grumbled. “Okay, but I’m not calling you James. What’s your full name?”

“James Rhodes.”

“Rhodey it is then. You’re stuck with me now.”

~~~

So it was, on a Tuesday night at 3am, sometime in 1986 that Tony Stark, a mechanical engineering and physics double major, met James Rhodes, an Aerospace major with a Greek and Roman mythology minor, and the future was set in motion for living legends who ~~kind of~~ definitely lived up to the legends. 

~~~

“Next time you ride with me, Daedalus.”

Tony only smiled. “Always were a nerd.”

“We can talk about my education once we get you fixed up, okay Tones?”

“Okay.”

~~~

Tony woke up in the hospital. 

“Rhodey?”

“Here Tones.”

He turned to look at the man crammed into the shitty hospital chair. “You called me another myth. Which one was he?”

Rhodey sighed. “Daedalus built a maze, the Labyrinth, and he was essentially imprisoned in it. He built wings to fly himself and his nephew Icarus out.”

“So why not call me Icarus?”

“You’re alive, aren’t you?”

Silence filled the room. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for Tones. Let’s focus on catching the sons of bitches who did this to you, alright?”

He could only nod before succumbing to sleep once more.

~~~

“I told him he wasn’t Icarus!”

“James you need to calm down-”

“Don’t tell me to calm down Pepper! I just walked him fall from a black hole in the middle of New York, and I told him a year ago that he wasn’t Icarus!”

“James, he isn’t dead!”

Rhodey stopped pacing. 

“The Hulk aided Captain Rogers in resuscitating him. He’s awake now when you want to go see him.”

“That red, white, and blue bastard better not have kissed him.”

Pepper laughed. “Jealousy is not a good color on you James.”

~~~

“Your gods would love it up there Rhodey.”

“Tony, you don’t have to-”

“No, just let me talk.” 

In the months after the Battle of New York, Tony had barely stopped working. He only slept during the day, and refused to go out at night. The stars were a thing of horror to men who had to stare them in the face.

“You’re right to study the gods, Rhodes. They would love the stars. They would love _space_. Olympus is too small to hold the power you told me about, but space is- it’s forever.”

Rhodey sat out in front of him, the same way he did the first time they met in the lab at MIT. “Of course, Tones. And you held court among them and _lived_.”

~~~

“Time for bed Hephaestus.”

“But I’m almost done! All I have to do is fine tune some of these gears and-”

Rhodey sighed. “You can tune them in the morning. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how hard you’ve been working yourself.”

“Fine!” Tony laughed. “I’ll go to sleep if you tell me which myth you called me this time.”

“Hephaestus is the blacksmith of the gods, creating perfect objects for them to use in their fields. Notice how you weld your armor to perfection, fix Nat’s gauntlets and Clint’s bow. Even Steve’s shield is buffed out, polished, with the edges sharpened. Tony, you are a god among gods.”

Tony just looked at him in awe. “I never thought about it like that.”

“Well good thing I did. Now get some sleep okay?”

~~~

“Come on, Tones!”

“Rhodey, we’ve been walking for _hours_. Where are we going?”

“That’s the point, dear. It’s a surprise.”

Tony sighed. 

“Also hush, we’ve been walking for like 5 minutes and we’re almost there.”

The shorter man grunted, but let Rhodey steer him towards their destination. 

“Okay. Open your eyes… _now_!”

Upon opening his eyes, all Tony could see was shades of gold surrounding a pavilion.

“I suppose this is where you make a joke about Midas?”

“No love, but I’m not sure how I feel about you listening to me ramble.”

“It’s cute.”

Rhodey blushed, and in lieu of a response, he directed Tony to the center of the room so that he could see everything.

“It’s beautiful, Platypus. Why did you-”

He stopped when he turned his attention back to him. 

“Honey?”

And there, on one knee, James Rhodes held out a small box.   
  
A promise

“Welcome to Olympus, angel.”

**Author's Note:**

> :)  
> i hope you liked it


End file.
